Tales, illustrations, diary

Stick to the plan!

Since the day I started my self-improving path the last March, this week has been the harder. I have done most of the things I had to do, but I felt constantly late, distracted and sometimes sad. The reason why it happened is very practical: I didn’t stick to the plan.

The central heating and water boiler broke and my little daily routine went down the drain. At the same time, I had just decided to double the frequency of my posts on the artistic blog, The Charming Cookie Jar. I succeeded in writing, drawing and posting on time most of the times, but I felt like if I was running after my work, instead of simply doing it. For almost a month I’ve been telling myself that I should improve my routine, tailor it to myself and I was wrong. All I had to do was keep on doing everything in the exact same way.

I needed the breakdown of the boiler – and the forced stop to my comforting daily habits -to understand that all I had to do was keep on doing everything in the exact same way. I know that my daily routine it’s not the best daily routine ever. Probably there is something that I should do earlier in the day, and there is something else that can wait after lunch, but for now I can’t afford to change it. My resolution is not yet strong enough. I need to stop questioning and let my good autopilot guide me.

Tomorrow morning, I will:

wake up at 06.00, after a good 8 hours of sleep

meditate

do my exercises (both yoga and muscular)

have a cold shower

have a good breakfast

write my gratitude list

start to work at 08.00

have lunch at 12.00

work from 13.00 to 16.00

read a book/take a walk/ride my bicycle

have dinner

relax with my husband

go to bed by 22.00

The day after, I will do the same. If you are struggling to keep your focus, I suggest you write down a routine that suits you enough or a tactical plan and stick to it. Have you done it already? Is it good for you? Please, let me know.

In the meanwhile, thank you for your precious time and have a nice day.

2 thoughts on “Stick to the plan!”

Well, first of all, I am really glad you like my silly notes 😉
Secondly, I started taking cold showers after I read one of those lists “8 things to do to…” and I found it refreshing. In a way, I find it more gratifying than the really hot and really long showers I used to have before. Cold water washes my mind as well as my body. It wakes me up (of course!) and gives me the right thrill to start the day. The moment I put the dry towel around my body, I feel the warm rise up from the inside. Moreover, taking cold showers helps me with muscular sourness I have after exercising. It is really good for a lot of reasons, but… try it only if you dare 😉

Nina Trema

Hi, everybody!
My name is Annarosa, but you can call me Nina. I'm a writer and a beginner student of Stoicism. When I'm not writing, talking to my cat, or exercising, I like trekking with my husband, listening to music and enjoying the beauty of life.